As a young believer I became keenly aware of the war-like nature of belief in Christ–the devil who stalks about at the wood line of our thoughts stalking its prey [1 Peter 5:8]. I am often aware, by the Grace of God, of the lurking lies that creep up from within and sabotage my best attempts at Holy thoughts. Things like lust, anger, animosity, despair, or worry. But today brought a new level of awareness–a new alarm has wrung. I am now aware that this attack on my thoughts is far more subtle than I first thought. It’s something very subversive to my internal worship and moment-to-moment communion with God. Its a shift. A subtle movement of my thoughts away from the divine and meant to divide. It is almost as natural as shifting your weight in your chair. It is however, far more threatening.
As I read or contemplate before God, something very natural and benign arises. It is something so commonplace that I have not often even stopped to question it. It’s something that seems so natural to me it is waived through to the front of my mind: things–tasks–that when completed serve a Greater purpose in moving my life forward. Things like planning a small group lesson, writing the final bit for my seminary application, making that special tithe to the church. These thoughts, because they serve to move my life forward and in their time can serve the Great, are given V.I.P. passes to the front of the stage. They’re treated with the privilege of presidential prestige. And the communion I was enjoying is promptly made second rate by a the Trojan horse of good.
The good has overthrown the Great.
I must be suspect of any thought that interrupts in this way [Prov 14:12, 8]. Although these tasks, these common things, can serve God and His plan, they replace truly great Treasure with only the trappings of God’s desires. God is not pleased when I am obedient in merely doing the practical tasks of working out His calling in my life. He is most pleased when I continually meet with Him and bask in the radiance of His Glory as one would in the warmth of the sun [John 15:5, 17:3]. I must pray that God would keep me from allowing the Great to suffer at the hands of the good.